


For Heaven’s Cake

by Cornerofmadness



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Curtain Fic, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Hints of Brightwell, Post-Episode: s01e20 Like Father ..., Team as Family, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:20:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24278026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cornerofmadness/pseuds/Cornerofmadness
Summary: Only Malcolm and Dani could turn buying a cake into dramatic silliness.
Relationships: Gil Arroyo/Jessica Whitly, JT Tarmel/Tally Tarmel, Malcolm Bright & Dani Powell
Comments: 15
Kudos: 53
Collections: Trope Bingo: Round Fourteen





	For Heaven’s Cake

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** Not mine, Chris Fedak and Sam Sklaver owns it
> 
>  **Notes:** This is written for the trope bingo’s prompt of curtain fic and allbingo’s prompt of ‘wisdom’.

XXX

Malcolm followed Dani into the bakery, a bit confused as to why he was here. Gil told him to go, that it would be wise to follow Dani’s lead, and when it came to wisdom, Gil had been his go-to growing up. Well, Gil and Martin Whitly, two fathers, two of them able to impart wisdom on the nature of men and murder, two of them worlds apart in personality and capacity for kindness and mercy. He still didn’t see how wisdom and cake went together but he was willing to follow along.

The baker was busy with a harried looking mother so he and Dani poked around. She checked out the decorations of those in the display case while he found the cake flavor menu. Malcolm wrinkled his nose: yellow, chocolate and marbled. How restrictive. He tapped her arm and showed her the menu. “I don’t think this is where we want to be,” he said softly.

Dani frowned, took the menu from him and placed it back on the counter. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back outside. She looked him in the eye. “What did Gil tell you was happening today?”

“Nothing. He said listen to Dani.” _And behave_ , but he wasn’t telling her that.

“Okay well we’re getting cake for Tally. You know she’s pregnant because you freaked JT out by figuring it out so fast.” Dani smiled broadly. “And you probably got your invite to the surprise party for her.”

Malcolm nodded. JT had informed him everyone knew now and that he was having a little get together for her. _No gifts_ , he’d been clear about that. “I did.”

“So you’re helping me buy cake. This place is close to the precinct so I figured we’d start here.”

He wrinkled his nose. “It’s her first baby. I think we can do better.”

Dani pinched her lips tightly, and then pulled something out of her back pocket. She handed it to him. “I thought I might need this. That is the agreed upon price we want to spend on cake.”

Malcolm unfolded the post-it note. Things were becoming clearer, the wisdom he was meant to be learning. “Okay. I know a couple of places that would be within this price range or only a few dollars more if we don’t want fancy fondants and designs. Want to try them? We’d could have a few tastings to decide on the cake.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Any place giving tastings isn’t in that range, Bright.”

He put the note in his pocket. “Parties are in my mother’s wheelhouse. Trust me.”

When she shrugged, he hailed a cab and texted the bakery his mother favored. He included a time frame for arrival and the desire to sample their wares, no alcoholic ones. There were times his mother and the Milton name came in handy. 

“Are you upset?” Dani asked once the cab was underway. 

Malcolm blinked, realizing she was watching him intently. He shook his head. “No, just figuring out what Gil meant about listening to you. I think I do a good job at not lording my wealth around but sometimes I don’t even think about it. What’s normal for me isn’t…well…” He flushed.

“Normal for the rest of us? True and you realize you don’t need to break the bank to impress us. I know you do because outside of your suits, we never see much of the family wealth.”

He rubbed his hand over his suit, wanting to argue it wasn’t that expensive since he spent all day most days wading around in blood but the reality was, to JT and Gil this was expensive, something they’d reserve for their fanciest engagements. To him, it was knock about work clothing. “I try not to be overbearing about the money and I get it. No gifts, no three grand cake but we can do better than yellow cake with gobs of sticky buttercream.”

“And I’m looking forward to it because I can’t imagine what I want to do more than eat cake with you.” Dani patted her flat belly. “Unless it was literally a cake made of donuts.”

He laughed. “Gil warned me about you and your donuts.”

“So long as you don’t get between me and said donuts you get to keep all your fingers.” She smiled sweetly.

“Note to self, Dani gets the first sample of _everything_.”

“See? You’re so smart.” She nudged his knee.

“I try.”

“Also, we’re supposed to bring a potluck dish.” Dani eyed him. “Do you even cook?”

“I can but I’m also lazy in the kitchen. Gil will bring something homemade. I’ll probably order out and again I get it, one dish enough for a dozen or so people. JT said no one has allergies or gluten issues so that makes life easier.”

She looked at him uneasily as if wondering if he’d been insulted but he hadn’t been. He smiled at her and Dani’s muscles unbunched. “Sounds good.”

He nodded and the conversation shifted to what she knew of JT and Tally’s favorite foods so he had a shot of bringing something that would actually get eaten. He didn’t want to bring anything back with him. It would be a waste. They disembarked at the For Heaven’s Cakes and Malcolm opened the door for Dani.

Ms. Marlowe, one of the bakers he had met a few times helping Mother with her parties, smiled upon seeing him. He returned it as he crossed the shop floor. “Mr. Bright, how can I help you today?”

“This is my friend Dani Powell, and we’re looking for a fairly simple cake for a get together, no themes or anything fancy like that,” he said and her expression fell slightly. She had been expecting something extravagant but his mother was too wealthy for her to turn him away. “But we don’t know what flavor we want yet.”

“Not a problem. I’ve put together about six samples of what I think are some of my best flavor combinations but keep in mind you can customize any cake, filling and icing flavors.” Marlowe ushered them to an ice cream parlor styled table and chair. “And I was hoping you might be able to try a couple that I think your mother might be interested in. They’re alcohol infused which I know you don’t want but…”

“I’m sure we don’t mind doing a little extra tasting,” he assured her.

“Excellent. Let me get you those two first.” Marlowe quickly came back with a container and two glasses and a pitcher of water on a tray for them. She opened the container. “These two are champagne cake with rum-caramel custard and a toasted meringue frosting and these two are Grand Marnier infused-thyme cake, orange curd and Galliano buttercream. I’ll let you test run those for Mrs. Whitly and bring over the ones I think you might like for your party.”

“Thank you. Bring the pricing guide as well, please.”

“I don’t even…” Dani stared at the cake with huge eyes and proved she, in fact, could make a choice. She dove into the champagne cake cut the size of a petite four. Malcolm mirrored her. Dani shut her eyes, swaying her head as she savored the bite. “Oh god, this is so good!”

“I could eat the whole cake myself,” he agreed as the sweetness danced on his tongue. Malcolm sipped some water to clear his palate. The Grand Marnier cake was even better. 

“I’m glad you wanted to come here. The orange is good but that toasted meringue…Bright, you know when my birthday is, right?” Dani grinned.

“Actually no.”

“Don’t worry you will.”

“And I’m bringing champagne cake.”

“I’m thinking the orange cake with the toasted meringue on that instead but we’re not nearly done tasting.”

“No, we are not.” He waved to Ms. Marlowe. “These are both scrumptious. Mother would love either. I’ll let her know. What else do you have for us?”

She brought over a bigger container. “I have strawberry swirl with strawberry filling and cream cheese frosting, Limoncello, mango with mango mousse.” She outlined a few others and handed him the pricing guide.

“Let me guess, limoncello for you first.” Dani nudged his ankle with her toe.

“Lemon is definitely good but graham spice cake with marshmallow fluff is calling my name.”

Dani shook her head. “You do love your sweets, don’t you?”

“Always. Here you go. It’s five dollars over your price. Is that within reason?” 

“That’s fine especially if these taste anything like those fancy ones for your mom.” Dani did go for the limoncello first, her expression one of bliss.

“I’m not the only one with a sweet tooth,” he said.

“You better keep up or I’ll eat it all,” Dani promised.

Laughing, he took the limoncello too. “So, we get to bring a plus one. I forgot to ask JT if he invited Edrisa. If not, I thought I’d ask her because I think she’d feel left out otherwise.”

“He invited her,” Dani replied. “And you’re a sweet guy, you know that right? Not as sweet at this cake but still.”

“I know what it’s like to be the weird kid no one asks to the party.” He shrugged, taking a drink before reaching for the mango. “I’m glad she was invited. I won’t be bringing a plus one then. Are you?” Malcolm flushed a little. _Way to be ham handed_.

She shook her head. “I planned to go solo.”

“We could be each other’s plus one,” he suggested.

Her cheeks pinked up and she ducked her head. “That would be nice,” she muttered.

“Good. You have mousse on your lips.” Malcolm wanted to kiss that away but suspected they weren’t there yet. He was still grappling with the idea he might want more than friendship.

Dani licked it away, her eyes on him and he thought she might be thinking the same thing. “Thanks.” 

“I have a question and probably should have led with it. What is Tally’s favorite cake flavor?”

Dani opened her mouth to answer, closed it again, the skin around her eyes wrinkling. “I…don’t know.”

“That is a problem.” Bright took out his phone and called JT. “Hey JT, question, what’s Tally’s favorite cake flavor?”

“Chocolate.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m her husband. How can I not be sure?” JT huffed into the phone.

“Because you’re her husband,” Bright replied, and Dani rolled her eyes at him.

“JT, who is it?” Bright heard some shuffling and then “Is that Bright? Put him on speaker.”

“Bright, Tally just put you on speaker,” JT said, his voice full of warning.

“Okay I’m doing that same because I’m with Dani.”

“Ooo, anything we should know about?” Tally purred. 

“Only if you’re planning an intervention for her and her donuts,” Malcolm replied, and Dani kicked him under the table. “Ow! Anyhow we’ve been having a bunch of silly arguments at work. Maybe you could help settle them, Tally. JT and Dani are arguing what’s the best candy Twix or Kit Kat.”

“Neither. Peanut butter cups.”

“That’s what Bright said!” JT protested.

“Bright lives up to his name.”

Malcolm grinned. “Thank you, Tally, and you are so right about peanut butter cups. There’s also the best soda debate.”

“I say root beer,” Dani piped up.

“Coke, woman, coke is the best,” JT protested.

“Soda sucks. Give me water,” Tally replied.

“That’s two for two, Tally. Are you reading Bright’s brain? You won’t like what you see there,” JT warned.

Malcolm ignored him. “And lastly we have the great cake battle. Dani is all about champagne cake and JT swears you both love chocolate.”

“No, _he_ loves chocolate. I love chocolate everything but cake and that includes red velvet, which is just chocolate with food coloring.”

“Do I even know you?” JT asked.

“Apparently not if you think I like chocolate cake and coke.” Tally laughed. “What about you, Bright? Do you eat cake?”

“I like the fruity ones, like strawberry with strawberry filling or orange and there’s this mango cake that’s amazing,” he replied.

“I would eat every last one of those!”

“What clearly has to happen here is I divorce you and you go marry Bright, Tally.” JT snorted. “Have water, peanut butter cups and weird orange cake all day. In what world is mango even a cake flavor?”

“In every world, but really, this argument is so heated you had to call on your day off?” Tally asked.

“I clearly have nothing better to do.” Bright laughed.

“Even though you’re out with Dani. Then again I saw what happened to your last date,” Tally said.

“It’s not a date, just friends hanging out over coffee and arguing nonsense,” Dani protested.

“And Dani is another minefield all together,” Malcolm said, and got another kick for his trouble. “Ow! Okay I better get off the phone before Dani breaks my ankle. Thanks, Tally. Sounds like you and I are the winners.”

“I know how to win. Try to have fun you two,” Tally said.

“You are crazy, bro,” JT added before signing off.

“He’s not wrong.” Dani eyed him.

“And you are a minefield for me but I think I have a partial map,” Malcolm replied, and she snorted. “Okay so now any of the fruity ones.”

In the end, he ordered half a strawberry cake filled with strawberries and torched meringue and half orange cake filled with mango mousse and the same meringue. That accomplished, Malcolm looked at Dani. “So, would you like to go for coffee with me?”

“So we can argue which is the best?” She smirked.

He gave it right back. “Naturally.”

XXX

Dani pulled up the block from the Tarmel home and parked. She bailed out and Malcolm considered how he was going to carry everything over the cracked sidewalk. At least his hand was steady today. He studied Dani as she opened the trunk. She had dressed up a bit in flowing black slacks and a blue blouse that dipped low. Did she realize it was nearly the color of his eyes? Or would only someone steeped in the fashion world notice? _Thanks, Mother._

“Did I tell you how nice you look?”

“Yes but you can keep saying it if you like.” She grinned over her shoulder. “Also I did forget to ask what you brought and why is there a second cake box? Did you forget the no gifts rule?”

“I didn’t. That’s a thank you to JT for putting up with me and inviting me. I’m aware that he did not like me in the beginning.”

“Understatement,” she said, and mumbled something that might have been ‘where’s my thank you?’ He had plans for that answer.

“And my pot luck is an artichoke and fennel crudo, basically an Italian salad and fennel can have a stomach settling affect I thought Tally might need. It’s better than what Emilio wanted me to bring. He doesn’t know I’m a Whitly and why I was so resistant to his house specialty of chianti noodles with fava beans.”

Dani laughed so hard she nearly toppled into the trunk. “No, Hannibal’s weird kid cannot bring that!”

“To be fair, I’m ninety percent sure my father never ate anyone…god, I hope not! I never want to know different.” He shuddered. “And I’m not weird.”

“Even Gil says you’re weird, Bright.” Dani looped the shopping bag with the crudo in it over one of his arms and then handed him the cake box while he stood there wondering if Gil did say he was weird. He knew Gil had called him an acquired taste, which was just the nice way of saying ‘please like my weird kid.’ She picked up the smaller box and her own potluck offering in a big plastic container. She shut the trunk and started walking. “What did you get JT?”

“A chili-chocolate cake with cinnamon buttercream filling and chocolate ganache. Marlowe and I decided it was a Mexican hot chocolate cake.”

“JT might just marry you too.” Dani giggled. 

“Well at least I can tell my mother my love life has improved. I’m their boyfriend, Mom, and oh, there’s a grandkid on the way.” He beamed.

“She might just have a heart attack or throw you a giant party. I’m not sure which.”

“Neither am I.”

A woman he didn’t know met them at the door. Dani said her name was Jada and she was Tally’s sister. She led them into the kitchen where two more woman he didn’t know – but proved to be Tally’s friends – were talking with Edrisa and another police detective he knew tangentially. They set their offerings out – Dani had brought a strawberry pretzel salad – and were ushered into the living room. Malcolm nearly fell over Dani when she stopped dead seeing Gil cuddling on the couch with his plus one. He could almost hear Dani’s brain screaming Gil’s plus one is Bright’s mother?!?

Dani took his hand and pulled him back into the kitchen. “Did you know Gil was bringing your mother?”

“No.”

“How long has this been going on?”

“I suspect since before he was stabbed. I noticed when she was constantly visiting him in the hospital. Neither have said a word to me yet, and I’ve been pretending I’m blind, and if I _see_ anything, I might actually go blind.” He made a face. “Not kissing so much but you know what I mean.”

“I’m afraid I do. Glad I’m not you.” Dani patted his back and returned to the living room.

Malcolm followed and made small talk with everyone including his mother as they waited for JT to return with Tally. Finally they heard them on the front stoop and the living room went as silent as a tomb.

“That was the best shopping trip. The nursery is going to be so…” Tally trailed off spotting them and nearly dropped the bags when they cried surprise.

Teary eyed, she caught JT in a big hug and kissed him passionately before hugging everyone else in turn. “I can’t believe you did this, JT. You are the best. Thank everyone for being here!”

“Just wait until you see the kitchen,” Jada said.

Tally rushed in and covered her mouth, muffling a delighted squeal. “Look at everything! Oh cake! Is that why you called here the other day and pretended to fight over nonsense?”

Malcolm laughed. “Sadly those arguments aren’t pretend, but yes.”

“What did you bring?”

“One half is strawberry-strawberry and the other orange- mango,” Dani replied.

“Let me guess, you let my son try to make a decision?” His mother rolled her eyes.

“Tally, you should talk to my mother some later, ask her about her book on how to embarrass your child in one easy step.” He shot his mother the hairy eye.

“It’s right on my shelf next to the one I wrote on how to spoil them into brattiness.” His mother smiled.

Tally laughed. “I’m sure I’ll have plenty of questions. Is the little cake chocolate?”

“For JT,” Malcolm replied.

“As a thank you for putting up with him,” Dani added, and he winced.

“That should have been a sheet cake at the very least. Maybe more like a multi-tiered extravaganza.” JT chuckled.

“I know, right?” Dani grinned.

Tally gave Malcolm another hug. “You’re the one who deserves cake for putting up with JT.”

“I think all these pregnancy hormones has made you insane, love.” JT pulled her against him, giving her a kiss. “Okay, so shall we dig in?”

Malcolm hung back, letting others fill their plates first. He was terrible at this sort of thing. His mother was in her element. He’d learn all of Tally’s friends’ secrets from her tomorrow no doubt. He ended up with a small plate of food and in the corner with Edrisa and Dani but Dani was more comfortable talking with the group. He and Edrisa got lost in a low pitched conversation that was probably utterly inappropriate but it was fun. A year ago no one would have thought about inviting him to something like this. He had found his family. Finally, Malcolm had come home.


End file.
